How does a simple ambush differ from a complex ambush?

Answer 1

A simple ambush is often (yet not always) a hasty ambush that consists of one main ambush component from usually one side.

**A hasty ambush is when the offensive force (the guys doing the ambushing) spots the enemy (usually while on patrol) and if they are not seen, move to ambush. They will attempt to flank the enemy before opening fire.**

A well planned complex ambush will try to completely cut off the enemy and utilize many weapon systems in a multi-stage ambush.

*Example* The Red team consists of a heavy machine gun team with two other squads, the machine gun and the rest of red team are elevated on the slope of a hill, given concealment by the woods and some brush. The red team has set up with the MG near the road with the other squads on either side of the road at an angle so that they will be able to cover either side of the road but not so that they could possible fire upon one another.

\ | | /

\ | | /

It would look similar to this | |.

The Blue team is patrolling down the route (for this example the Blue team will be on foot/dismounted) the Red team will wait until the Blue team is well within the kill zone (the point which the Red team's fire is overlapping, covering the entirety of the Blue team). Then the Red team will start the ambush with their most casualty producing weapon (Explosives, Heavy MG, sack full of bunnies, etc.) then the other squads will finish off the Blue team .

The ambush for the red team (after doing recon of the area, planning, and setting up the ambush) starts when the enemy enters the kill zone.

*Step 1* Opens fire with most casualty producing weapon. In this case that weapon is a Heavy Machine Gun. Firing down the road.

*Step 2* Before the Blue team has time to react to the ambush Red team must suppress/Neutralize them. By arranging the Red team in what looks like a W the Red team will keep the enemy in the kill zone. It is important to note the the Heavy MG is there to suppress the Blue team while the other squads are there to kill the Blue team, and prevent the Blue team from escaping the kill zone.

At this point, if the ambush has been executed properly all of Blue team should be dead.

*Step 3* If Blue team is not dead then Red team will continue engaging and call in any fire support assets available. We'll stack the odds in Red teams favor by saying that the commander has mortars standing by and already given the mortar teams coordinates to fire upon and all he has to do is pick up the radio and say fire on point 3.

If Blue team isn't dead yet then Red team should just hang it up.

The reason Red team's ambush was a complex ambush was because they had overlapping fields of fire, and more than just small arms.